La Revista de la Educación Superior (RESU) es un medio que se propone publicar textos académicos originales sobre la educación superior mexicana, con apertura a la dimensión internacional. Sus destinatarios son tanto investigadores que trabajan temas de educación superior como directivos, especialistas e interesados en planeación, evaluación y gestión de las instituciones y sistemas de educación superior. Por consiguiente, se difunden artículos de investigación, ensayos académicos y reseñas críticas, que propicien que los lectores enriquezcan su bagaje conceptual y analítico, y amplíen su conocimiento acerca de los retos que enfrentan los sistemas e instituciones de educación superior en los entornos nacional e internacional.
Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior A.C. (ANUIES)
From neoliberal domination to ideological warfare: public universities as a battleground
After four decades of neoliberal governance—quasimarkets, human capital, and metrics—public universities have entered a phase of punitive ideological campaigns deploying financial sanctions, regulatory levers, and cultural loyalty tests to reshape academic life. This article revisits the genealogy of the culture wars and develops a comparative framework (United States, Spain/Madrid, Brazil, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, India and Israel) to show how governance by markets has been subsumed by an ideological regime aimed at disciplining knowledge production. Drawing on Marginson, Krugman, and Scholars at Risk, it contends that safeguarding the knowledge commons, institutional autonomy, and international cooperation is essential to sustain open, critical, and global universities. The paper outlines strategic guidelines to secure funding, diversify metrics, strengthen mobility, and protect peer review in the face of today’s neoliberalism plus.
Copyright (c) 2026 Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior http://resu.anuies.mx
Case Study: Mexican University Context—A Sickening Envir
It is a mixed study that investigates psychosocial risk factors and work-related illnesses perceived by university employees in the public sector in Mexico as a consequence of the factors included in an online survey; more than 80% of participants report ailments. Destructive leadership is analyzed for its harmful effect on the discomfort of workers, as well as the fact that NOM-035-STPS-2018 by itself does not influence the modification of practices such as abuse of power and institutional violence. It is found that trust in bosses is not established, and there is an opportunity for improvement regarding the ideal profile of those occupying positions of higher hierarchy, which includes responsible transformational leadership.
Integrated Model of AI Adoption in Higher Education (IMAI4HE)
AI integration in higher education needs comprehensive frameworks to enhance the new forms of learning based on the student. This paper proposes solutions through the Integrated Model of AI Adoption in Higher Education (IMAI4HE) to improve the education process. The key factors explored in IAMI4HE adoption are based on awareness of the importance of one's career, innovation, and sustainability. Data was collected from 749 Mexican university students in 2024. Three experts integrated Delphi panels and focus groups and designed the IAM4HE factors for the questionnaire. After this, the PLS-SEM analysis was applied to determine the underlying relationships. The IMAI4HE framework was validated, showing mainly relationships between knowledge, motivation, trust, preparedness, and use intention. Practical recommendations include reinforcing knowledge to improve its relationship with preparedness and taking advantage of both relationships: motivation to trust and preparedness to use intention. The IMAI4HE framework is based on multidisciplinary experts and users, focused on innovation and sustainability in the student's career development and AI adoption in higher education. The relationships between motivation to trust and preparedness to use intentions are the strongest predictors for easy AI adoption in the IMAI4HE framework. However, theoretical knowledge alone is still not enough. Limitations include a Mexico-specific sample; hence, this study is still exploratory, not confirmatory.
Efficiency of Ecuadorian state universities. A parametric and non-parametric analysis in three phases
The purpose of this research was to identify the efficient public universities in Ecuador between 2015 and 2020, using non-parametric (Data Envelopment Analysis, DEA) and parametric (Panel Data) techniques, considering variables such as budget, number of students, number of professors, number of scientific articles published, whether or not the university is a polytechnic, whether or not it offers a medical degree, among others. As a result, 17 of the 25 universities initially considered behaved as efficient for the eight inputs and two outputs used. From the results of the panel data applied to these institutions, it was found that out of ten variables used, four were significant and the evaluation of the final efficiency, considering the budget as output and the four inputs from the panel, showed that only 28% of the total number of universities analyzed were efficient.
Data Envelopment Analysis in universities
Parametric and non-parametric methods in higher education
The University: A Yet Unresolved Problem in Peru
This essay analyzes the Peruvian university in a historical and comparative context with universities in Latin America and around the world. It questions its secondary role in the construction of a modern national identity, its inability to resolve national crises, and its focus on the past without imagining an innovative future. It examines endogenous factors that impede its modernization, highlighting inbreeding as one of the important causes of its stagnation. It evaluates the three roles of the modern university—teaching, research, and "third mission"—and their presence in the Peruvian context. Finally, it proposes nine measures to improve its functioning.
University extension, reformism and Peronism: meanings and practices at the National Workers’ University in Argentina (1948–1955)
This article examines the redefinition of university extension during the first Peronist administration in Argentina (1946–1955), challenging historiographical interpretations that portray it as a marginal function in this period. Drawing on qualitative documentary research, the study analyzes laws, decrees, institutional resolutions, and official publications, with particular emphasis on the case of the National Workers’ University (Universidad Obrera Nacional, UON). The findings demonstrate that university extension did not disappear but was reoriented within a state-centered project aimed at articulating technical training, productive development, and doctrinal formation. Whereas the 1918 Reformist tradition conceived extension as a practice of cultural democratization grounded in university autonomy, Peronism integrated it into a framework of state planning and political-identity formation. At the UON, this transformation acquired a distinctive institutional form through the creation of the Institute of Cultural and Technical Extension, which complemented formal curricula with cultural and ideological training. The article argues that university extension provides a key analytical lens for understanding competing conceptions of the university’s social function in mid-twentieth-century Argentina.
Indigenous people and higher education in Mexico: A critical look at affirmative action at an agricultural university
This essay explores the intersection between Indigenous belonging and access to higher education in Mexico. Based on the case of the Autonomous University of Chapingo, it examines the advances and limits of affirmative action, noting that, despite its inclusive intent, it can perpetuate new forms of academic inequality. It proposes addressing the recognition of social inequalities and their impact on academic life, supporting students at risk, and transforming them toward an intercultural pedagogy to ensure not only the admission of Indigenous students but also their retention.
Desafíos de la Revista de la Educación Superior frente a la incertidumbre
Undergraduate Programs on Philosophy in México: Historical review and pertinence perspectives
Philosophy is the area of knowledge that is oldest, and, in the same way, it is the one that has the longest institutionalized training. The studies of philosophy in Mexico were established as a school education since colonial times; From that moment on, different teaching models have been configured that have led it to be one of the professional formations with the greatest presence in the country. This work presents a historical descriptive account and the approach of four founding moments of philosophy teaching in Mexico, the most recent being the one that raises its perspectives of relevance under contemporary university educational models.
Copyright (c) 2025 Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior
Rowing against the tide. Gender policies in Mexican and Spanish universities
Gender equality policies have been incorporated into higher education for a few decades. However, the results have not been as expected, as the main inequalities faced by women persist, such as vertical and horizontal segregation, discrimination and gender-based violence, as well as the sexual division of labor within and outside institutions. From a feminist institutionalism perspective, this qualitative research presents semi-structured interviews with key individuals at public universities in Mexico and Spain. The progress and resistance to the adoption and implementation of gender equality policies are analyzed in three dimensions: norms, structures, and equality plans. This study highlights the most recurrent forms of resistance —(lack of) political will and scarcity of resources— and the link between them as central obstacles to gender equality in universities.
Analysis and strategies for the incorporation of digital content and skills in higher education institutions in Mexico
This article analyzes strategies for incorporating digital content and skills. The challenges and opportunities that institutions face in the digital transformation process are addressed. The objective is to integrate ICT as a tools to facilitate the teaching-learning process in Mexican HEIs. The methodology has a mixed approach, non-experimental design, type of descriptive study, and was based on the “2023 Report Challenges of Digital Competence of Ibero-American higher education teachers.” The results show that, although current efforts have been positive, it is essential to continue and expand teacher training initiatives.
The importance of the "others" in university students. A case study from a university in southern Chile
This article seeks to know in Chilean university students, what is the importance they give to others in their decision-making. A questionnaire is applied that includes a prosociality scale and questions about job projections, these data are worked on by cross-referencing variables and cluster analysis. In addition to the above, interviews are added to deepen what has been collected, which are analyzed through constant comparison. The results indicate a high prosociality, which could demonstrate a shift from an asocial individuation to an individuation where concern for oneself is not contrary to an interest in others.
Humberto Muñoz: Criticism and Institutionality
The text is a brief tribute marking the passing of Humberto Muñoz García. It bids farewell to and acknowledges Muñoz García in his multiple roles: academic, colleague, friend, teacher, and boss. The author first knew Muñoz García through his publications, such as the Censuses and the Diagnosis of Academic Personnel from the 80s, and later in person, establishing a colleague relationship and participating together in the Higher Education Seminar starting in 2005. Muñoz García's contribution is framed within a generation of UNAM academics who entered in the late 50s and early 60s of the 20th century, whose training was based on direct recruitment in the classroom or laboratory, with high academic demands and a concept of career that was more union-based than meritocratic. This training allowed Muñoz to obtain a Doctorate at age 30 and, at 42, already be a Titular C and enter Level III of the SNI. His criticisms of the subsequent academic order were founded on this rich experience, advocating for incentives that encouraged reading, critical thinking, and intense sociocultural coexistence.
Tensions of Internationalization and Impact: Lessons Learned and Challenges in the Revista de la Educación Superior
Transforming assessment practices in university teaching for today's students
The article focuses on a study that was aimed at systematising the experience of a group of academics from the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities of the University of Chile in which a process of transformation of their assessment practices was undertaken. It addresses the changes experienced by academics and students, drawing on qualitative evidence that is triangulated with quantitative data on failure rates and performance distributions. Relevant findings are offered in connection to the changes that are required in higher education to face the increasingly diverse profile of students that are getting access to this level of education.
Promoting Sustainability: Evaluation of Environmental Duty in Public Autonomous Universities of Mexico
Given that theoretically and normatively there is a public duty of the Autonomous Universities in Mexico to promote the care of the environment, as a pillar to ensure the right to education, strengthening study programs through academic freedom and self-regulatory faculties and self-government, in addition to a social duty, where it is intended to generate a connection between education and sustainability to form environmentally conscious individuals. The objective of this research was to identify whether these faculties and the obligation to promote environmental education are being guaranteed within the Autonomous Public Universities in Mexico. To this end, a questionnaire was designed that identified academic programs, years of creation, social responsibility programs, and environmental and regulatory research in universities, implementing a dichotomous variable and descriptive statistics to model the data. The results indicate a commitment of these institutions to generate academic programs at different levels. In addition, good environmental practices in resource management and environmental training were identified. The identification of indicators to measure the efficiency of these practices is suggested as the next line of research, providing a deep understanding of the duty of care of universities in the Mexican context.
Configuring the Labor Market for Adjunct Faculty in Higher Education
This article examines the working conditions of temporary professors at three Mexican universities: UACM, IBERO, and UAM. Through an articulation of theory and narrative construction, it demonstrates that these professors rely on professional networks and face intense competition for temporary positions, characterized by low wages and limited job security. As a key research contribution, the article introduces the concept of the Hinged Labor Market, which describes a hybrid labor market combining formal and informal rules, allowing for some mobility while remaining marked by precarity. The findings highlight that job instability is a constant feature of this hinged labor market. Temporary professors seek stability through the accumulation of academic merits. However, upward mobility does not always lead to objective improvements, as subjective factors such as institutional prestige also play a role. Professors value institutions based on salary and academic recognition, yet their careers are shaped by alternating periods of temporary contracts and unemployment. The study calls for a multidimensional approach to analyzing professors' working conditions, moving beyond contractual stability, and underscores the complexity of their current labor reality.
Teaching models used by university teachers
This paper is a systematic review using PRISMA of the current state of teaching models used by university teachers. The articles were obtained from the WOS, SCOPUS, ERIC and Dialnet databases, identifying 36 articles. The results show that teachers do not use a single model, but employ variations between traditional and constructivist models. Furthermore, the need to address the teaching of soft skills and the limitations of the classroom are highlighted. The conclusions and discussion reflect that both models are valid as long as the teacher's technique is good.
International Student Mobility in Mexico: Gaps, Progress, and Trends in Higher Education
Trends in temporary mobility of university students is examined for the 2010-2019 period, based on a systematic review of international student mobility data in Mexico. The analysis builds on data provided by the main sources of information on the subject, the Patlani Survey and the Base 911 reports. Results include ITESM as the university with the highest participation in international student mobility. Despite the trend of private universities leading international student mobility, the participation of public universities began standing out considerably. However, less than 1% of the enrollment in Mexican universities participated in temporary international student mobility during the period analyzed.
Temporary mobility of university students
Internationalization of higher education
Political Subjectivities and Professionalization Experiences in Intercultural and Community Higher Education in Oaxaca, Mexico
This article presents the findings of an extended research project conducted within the framework of Community and Intercultural Higher Education initiatives, which are organized and led by Indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The study centers on the analysis of the biographical and educational trajectories of students who choose to pursue higher education grounded in the principles of comunalidad, across three educational institutions: ISIA, Unixhidza, and MEC. A key finding of this study is articulated through the concept of political subjectivities, which allows us to understand the student as a subject embedded in broader processes—familial, communal, and territorial—that shape and accompany their educational experience. This perspective emphasizes the interrelation between individual formation and collective commitment. The methodology combined ethnographic observation, context-sensitive interviews, and the co-construction of biographical narratives, carried out over the period from 2017 to 2022. In conclusion, the study argues that intercultural and communal higher education in Oaxaca emerges as: (a) a response to the appropriation and reproduction of Indigenous knowledge systems that have been historically marginalized within formal education, particularly at the tertiary level; (b) a pathway for professionalization within communities, aimed at creating viable life opportunities without the necessity of migration; and (c) a mechanism for strengthening community-based institutions.
Competencies in the field of international trade: a contribution to the update of higher education curricula and programs
The training in the field of international trade must be embedded in a dynamic process of constant review and updating of its curricula and study programs. The purpose of this work is to present the perspective of experts on the skills and knowledge required by the labor market in the field of international trade. To achieve this methodological objective, the Delphi method is used to identify and define the most in-demand generic expertises and specific knowledge sought by the labor market in this area.
Higher Education in Crisis: Challenges of Access and Retention in Colombia
This article critically analyzes higher education in Colombia between 2016 and 2024, focusing on access, permanence, and financing. Using a mixed and correlational approach, it was evidenced that a greater availability of financing mechanisms is associated with more educational coverage and lower dropout. The study indicates that structural challenges persist in public policies that limit the democratization of the system. It concludes that it is urgent to rethink these policies, leaving aside the mercantilist logic and recognizing education as a fundamental right, key to social equity, human dignity, and an active and inclusive citizenship.
Racism and anti-racism in latin american universities. Student narratives
We present results of research on racism at the university level. Racism is an ideology that mutates and transforms historically and presents itself in multiple forms to exert the domination of some sectors over others. The methodological approach was narrative, with the participation as authors of indigenous and non-indigenous university students from Bolivia, Mexico and Venezuela. It was found that for students there is racism in daily interactions at the university, among peers, with teachers and other actors in the institution, as well as the presence of anti-racist practices that we call reactive and/or spontaneous to confront it.
Human rights education in journalism training
This research analyzes the presence and approach of human rights education (HRE) in the curricula of Journalism programs at two prestigious Chilean universities affiliated with the G9 Network. Using a qualitative approach based on a multiple case study limited to documentary sources, the study examined graduate profiles, curricular structures, and course syllabi. The findings reveal a weak integration of HRE into the curricula of the selected programs. Although some incorporation of HRE-related content can be identified, it does not permeate the entire academic training cycle of students.
Adaptation for Ecuador of the European Writing Survey
This article describes the cultural adaptation and validation of the European Writing Survey (EUWRIT) for Ecuador, consisting of two parallel questionnaires addressed to students and teachers. The process involved professors and university students and included cross-cultural adaptation, linguistic review, validation by expert judgment, piloting, determination of reliability, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The values obtained were satisfactory, being the first validation of this survey in Latin America, obtaining a validated and reliable instrument with 9 dimensions, 12 subdimensions and 141 items for students, and with 7 dimensions, 9 subdimensions and 130 items for teachers.
Validity and reliability of the scale of Organizational Support Perceived in Spanish with university professors
The objective of the research was to validate the psychometric properties of the abbreviated version of the perceived organizational support questionnaire, in its translation and adaptation to Spanish in a higher level educational context, through a confirmatory factor analysis. The study had a quantitative approach with a non-experimental correlational design, it was carried out in four Higher Education Institutions in Southeast Mexico, 349 research professors were selected. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the psychometric properties of the instrument. The empirical strength of the proposed model is confirmed from the results.
Promoting Cognitive Operability through Collaborative Learning with AI
This report presents an Educational Design Research, which was developed over 7 generations of university students between 2018 and 2024. The purpose was to promote cognitive operability through critical, creative, and proactive reflection, based on collaborative team learning, inducing dialogical interactions mediated by Artificial Intelligence. The aim is to develop professional competencies to know how to formulate intervention designs in solving educational psychology problems. The results support that the transformations in educational design have had a favorable progression in professional competencies.
The role of the university amidst advances in IA and social inequality
This paper reflects on the role of the university amidst current changes, focusing on productive transformations and the advancement of artificial intelligence, using the film Gattaca as a metaphor. Through the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Freitag, the implications of growing social inequality and unequal access to technology are explored. The need for universities to promote contemplation, encounters with otherness, and the improvement of everyday life is emphasized, addressing the challenges of a constantly changing world.
Rankings, boycotts and the marketization of the university